Winkleigh is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

and small village in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

, England. It is part of the local government area of

Torridge District Council Torridge may refer to: * Torridge District, a local government district in the county of Devon, England * River Torridge The River Torridge is a river in Devon in England; it rises near Meddon. The river describes a long loop through Devon f ...

. The population of the parish at the 2011 census was 1,305, compared to 1,079 in 1901. The population of the electoral ward in 2011 was 2,068.

History

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

Winkleigh Airfield was used by the RNoAF from 1944 as the main training Centre in the UK after Norway shifted from

Little Norway Little Norway ( no, Lille Norge), officially (FTL, "Air Force Training Camp"), was a Norwegian Army Air Service/Royal Norwegian Air Force training camp in southern Ontario during the Second World War. Origins When Nazi Germany attacked Norway o ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

to re-locate the training facilities to a place nearer to the War theatre. The former RAF base is now the site of the West of England Transport Collection, which stores over 200 cars, lorries and buses of historical interest. It is not normally open to the public. Winkleigh; Memorial tablet in church

In 1975 the deaths of three members of the Luxton family at nearby West Chapple Farm, brought media interest to the area. A book ''Earth to Earth'' by John Cornwell was published about this murder and suicide case in 1982. The village was the location of Inch's Cider, producers of White Lightning cider. Inch's Cider was bought by H. P. Bulmer, who then closed the plant down. However some of those involved in the original enterprise now run Winkleigh Cider on the Hatherleigh Road. Local businesses and organisations include a health centre (a branch of the Wallingbrook Surgery in Chulmleigh), a convenience store, a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

, a butchers shop, a florists, a cafe, a veterinary practice, two public houses, and Winkleigh sports centre. Winkleigh also has a primary school.

Berner's Cross

Berner's Cross is a crossroads near the village which was bypassed by the main road in the 1940s when Winkleigh Airfield was under construction; the name now refers to the sharp corner and the area adjacent to it.

Notable residents

* Godfrey Bremridge, First World War flying ace * William Davy, English divine * John Eveleigh, Provost of Oriel *

Ted Hughes Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...

, Poet Laureate * Gordon Charles Steele, naval officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross

References

External links

Winkleigh Parish Council Website

Genuki Winkleigh page

Devon village gets top family-friendly rating
BBC News Villages in Devon Civil parishes in Devon Torridge District {{Devon-geo-stub